Indicating device



April 5, 1927. E. R. GURNEY INDICATING DEVICE Filed July 23, 1924 6 INHL aide ,IHIHIII .Q 2R3 @vENTbR I ATTORNEYS Patented :Apr. 1927. 4

UNITED sT T s I 1,623,472 PATENT OFFICE.

EEVING R. GURNEY, OF BEECHH'O'RST, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONALMOTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N- Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INDIOLTING DEVICE.

Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to indicating mecha-' nism adapted to give avisual indication of conditions at remote operating mechanism and hasparticular reference to a v1sual s1g- 5 nalin proximity to the driversseat in a motor vehicle which shall indicate the con dition of thebrakes at the wheels of the vehicle. In certain types of brakefactuatingmechanism the application of braking power to the propeller shaft,serves to initiate the actuation of brake mechanism at one or morewheels of the vehicle. According to these types means are provided tofrictionally engage an element carried with the propeller 5 shaftwhereby the turning effort impressed thereon by the revolution of thepropeller wheels of the vehicle to initiate the setting of the brakesthereat. More particularly a sleeve slidable on the propeller shaft isadapted to be moved into frictional engagement with a disc rotatablewith the propeller shaft, cam or wedge surfaces .on the sleeve beingadapted to cause the actuation through suitable connections of the brakeactuating mechanism at the wheels of the vehicle. It

will be apparent that there is no direct connection between the brakeactuating-lever at the drivers seat which serves to move the sleeve intofrictional engagement with the disc and the cam actuating devices whichin-; itiate the brake setting operations and conse quently upon settingthe brakes the operator is unable to tell whether the 'brakes are in.

good condition or whether the brake bands have worn to a degree whichrenders them inefficient or inoperable). The present invention has forits object to provide a signal visible to the operator which shallindicate the v 40 conditionof the brakes at the wheels of the vehicle.Accordingly suitable connections are provided between the brakeactuating mech-.

anism and a visual signal in'proximity to the drivers seat whereby anindication of the .extent of wearof the brake bands, for instance, isobtained. According to one aspect of the invention the brake rod isconnected through a series of levers and connecting rods with anindicator which will becomeyisible when to the wear of the brake bandshas exceeded a predetermined point. Accordingto another aspect of theinvention electrical means are availed of to afl"ord the indication. Inthis instance, movement of the brake rod as 'a result of wear of thebrake bands beyond the 1924.. Serial No. 727,724;

predetermined point closes an electrical circuit which lights a lightvisible to the operator of the vehicle. In order that the invention maybe clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will nowbe described more fully'with reference to the .ac-

companying drawings illustrating preferred standing ofthc application ofthe invention thereto. Figure 2 IS a view in side elevation showing thebrake mechanism-of Figure 1 and the invention applied thereto. shaft istaken off and transmitted to the Figure 3 is a fragmentary view taken inthe plane indicated by the line 33 in Figure 1 and looking in thedirection of the arrows and showing the means in which driving torque isavailed of to actuate the brake mechanism. a

Figure 4 is a view showing a modified form which the invention may takeinvolving electrically actuated indicating means.

In the drawings the longitudinal side frame member a of the chassis hasconnected thereto at appropriate intervals a plurality of transversere-enforcing elements a' as is customary in the art. Certain of thesetransverse elements support the propeller shaft b rotated in knownmanner from a prime upon the propeller shaft b is a sleeved formed witha flan e (l' at one end thereof." In order that the Range (1 may bebrought into frictional engagement with the disc 0 the sleeve is.adapted to be engaged by the arms of a forked lever 6 carried on therock shaft 'e'journaled as at e to one of the cross frame members a vofthe chassis. An arm e rigidly carriedon the end of the rock shaft isconnected by a suitable series of links and levers with the actuatinglever apparent that upon depressing the lever f the fork (5 .will causethefrictionalengage ment of flange d with the disc 0 to cause the flangeto rotate therewith. Alsocarried on the sleeve d is a cam surface (1?which, upon rotation of the sleeve d, is adaptedjto engage an arm of thebell-crank" lever 9 connectedthrough a suitable series of links andlevers It will be point will serve to close an electrical Circuit.

has

wheels of the vehicle, an element of such, brake actuating mechanismbeing indicated.

effectiveness of the brake mechanism will be.

apparent to the operator upon actuation of t e lever f. In ordertherefore to furnish an indication of the condition ofthe brakes theforward end of brake rod h is connected in any appropriate manner to alink z'extending forwardly in proximity to the operator of the vehicleand connected at its forward end as at'i' to a lever 11 pivoted as at iin some convenient manner with respect to the dash j of the vehicle, Theend of the lever opposite to the connection z" is provided with an arm icarrying an indicator such as the ball 1'. This ball may be convenientlycolored red and. may be adapted to pass through an aperture j in thedash upon extended. Lever'z' and arm I movement of the lever 5 i aresoproportioned that when the brakes are in proper condition the movementof brake rod ,h, during setting of the brakes will not beof an extentsufiicient to cause the protrusion of the indicator i through theaperture j in the dash. As the brakes wear, however, the movement ofbrake rod h in the direction of its' axis will be increased causingappropriate movement of the lever 71?, in a manner which will becomprehended to cause the appearance of the ball 2' in the aperture j.Thus the appearance of the red ball throu h the aperture will indicateto the operator t at the brakesof the vehicle require adjustment. I I

In Figure 4 there is indicated a modification of the invention in whichmovement of. the brake rod h passed a predetermined In the illustratedmodification alight k may be carried in any convenient manner upon, forinstance, the dash of the vehicle and may be connected through theconductor with the Contact k insulated by means of non- -'conductingmaterial 70 from the chassis frame a. Lamp 70 is in circuit with asource of electrical current is and may be grounded in a manner whichwill be readily understood upon the chassis frame. The bell crank leverk oneiu'm of which is connected to the brake red It and the other arm ofwhich is connected through the link 9 with .the bell ,crank j is, ofcourse, in electrical contact through its metallic connections with thechassis a. By suitably positioning the contact 70 normal movements ofthe brake rod .h' may be permitted but when the movementof-the brake.rod exceeds a pr'edeter mined point due to the necessity for adjust.ment of the brakes thearm of bell crank h is brought into engagementwith the contact k to close an electrical circuit and light the lamp is.This lamp may be colored red so as to give a warning signal-tov theoperator that the brakes in the vehicle require adjustment. It-will thusbe seen that a visual indication has been provided for the operatorwhich will indicate when the brakes of thevehicle require adjustmenteven though such indication is not possible through the mechanism whichinitiates the setting of the brakes.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to the brakes of amotor vehicle it will be apparent that its applicability is not limitedto such use but is equally effective in any situation in which remoteoperating mechanism is actuated from a source of Various modification ofthe structure herein-.

before described and illustrated will occur to those skilledin the artand no limitation is intended except as indicated in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a rotating element, friction means to engage theelement, means for moving the friction means into engagement with theelement, visual indicating means observable from a position in which themovingmeans is operated, and means to actuate the indicatin means whenthe friction means is move a predetermined distance toward engaging theelement.

2. In combination with a vehicle,a rotating element thereon, frictionmeans to engage the element, means for moving the friction means intoengagement with the element, means mounted on the vehicle dash 1 forgiving a visual indication, and means to actuate the indicating meanswhen the friction means is moved a predetermined distance towardengaging the element.

3. In combination, a power shaft, a disc 105 carried-with said; shaft, arotatable sleeve" formed with a flange and a cam, a lever, one arm ofsaid lever so disposed as to be ngaged by the cam upon rotation of hesleeve, remote brake actuating mechanism connections between the otherarm of the lever and said remote brake actuating mech-

